In the cable industry, a point-of-deployment (POD) module (also known as a “CableCARD™”) has been developed to satisfy certain security requirements to allow retail availability of host devices, e.g., set-top boxes, digital cable ready televisions, digital video recorders, personal computers (PCs), integrated digital televisions, etc., for receiving cable services. The POD module, comprising a PCMCIA device, can be inserted into a host device, allowing a viewer to receive cable systems' secure digital video services, e.g., pay per view TV, electronic program guides, premium subscription channels, video-on-demand (VOD) services, etc.
Specifically, the POD module contains conditional access functionality, as well as the capability of converting messages to a common format. Thus, the POD module provides a cable operator with a secure device at the user premises, and acts as a translator so that the host device needs to understand a single protocol, regardless of the type of the network to which it is connected. For example, with the POD modules provided by cable operators, host devices which run, e.g., on an OpenCable Applications Platform (OCAP), may be sold in retail outlets. (For details on such a platform, one may refer, e.g., to: “OpenCable Application Platform Specification,” OCAP 2.0 Profile, OC-SP-OCAP2.0-I01-020419, Cable Television Laboratories, Inc., Apr. 19, 2002.) The OCAP allows applications to be built to a common middleware layer for deployment on host devices interoperable across cable systems in North America. (For details on the functional requirements of one such host device, one may refer, e.g., to: “OpenCable™ Host Device Core Functional Requirements,” OC-SP-HOSR-CFR-I13-030707, Cable Television Laboratories, Inc., Jul. 7, 2003.) With a common interface to the POD module, a host can be moved from one place to another, provided that the user of the host device contact his/her new cable operator to obtain a new POD module. (For details on such an interface, one may refer, e.g., to: “OpenCable™ HOST-POD Interface Specification,” OC-SP-HOSTPOD-IF-I13-030707, Cable Television Laboratories, Inc. Jul. 7, 2003. To provision a new POD module and host device, an authorization process needs to be performed while the host device, with the POD module inserted therein, is connected to the cable network. The authorization process begins with the user's providing an ID(s) of the POD module and/or the host device (e.g., serial number(s)) to the cable operator. The cable operator looks up in a database a media access control (MAC) address of the POD module which typically is hard-coded in the POD module, and is associated with the POD module ID. During the authorization process, the cable operator may, for example, assign an Internet protocol (IP) address to the POD module for its identification in the cable network. The cable operator may also collect from the host device data concerning the make, model, and ID of the host device (e.g., its serial number). The cable operator may associate the POD module's MAC address (and/or IP address) with the user information, e.g., his/her name, address, etc. for billing purposes.